Tag - Armin Van Buuren

Imagine Goes All Out for 5th Anniversary

Bassnectar at Imagine 2018

Imagine Music Festival, hosted by Iris Presents at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, went all out for their 5th anniversary this past September 21-23, 2018, featuring some of the most popular artists in the electronic music world. The Oceania Stage featured a slew of artists like Bassnectar, RL Grime, Zeds Dead, Kaskade, Galantis, Adventure Club, The Glitch Mob. The Amazonia Stage stayed true to its roots, hosting a variety of electronic fusion and jam bands like Griz, Zhu, Jai Wolf, Cashmere Cat, Shpongle, Eoto, and Lotus. Meanwhile, the Disco Inferno Stage featured some heavy-hitting bass artists on the first night, like Joker, Koan Sound, Shlump, Noisia, Boogie T B2B Squnto, before switching up to primarily House music on Saturday and Sunday nights. Disco Inferno played host to Green Velvet’s Lalaland on Saturday night, joined by Tiga, Walker & Royce, and Latmun. Sunday night was witness to Oliver Helden’s Heldeep Records takeover accompanied by Chocolate Puma, EDX, and Wax Motif. A slew of other artists filled in the gaps throughout the weekend, ranging from all sorts of genres like Trance, House, Dubstep, Freeform Bass, Drum & Bass, Electro Funk, and everything in between, including a silent disco that hosted artists late into the night when the main stages ended for the night.

Jai Wolf at Imagine 2018

Jai Wolf Performing at the Amazonia Stage at Imagine 2018

In its fifth year, Imagine made some noteworthy changes to the stage and visual design. The Oceania Stage got a significant facelift with the help of Algorhythm Designs. The new design featured a wide footprint with an aquatic theme, complete with sea-creature-themed dancers and performers, some of which performed from raised half-dome shaped pools on either ends of the stage. Because of the cost of the enormity of the 5th anniversary lineup, Imagine scaled back the scope of other stages, like Disco Inferno, Amazonia, and Aeria. The Disco Inferno Stage still featured stage design and pyrotechnics courtesy of Incendia, although on a smaller scale compared to last year. Similarly, the Amazonia Stage looked more like the design from 2016 than 2017, although still staying true to its Amazon-jungle theme with vines and foliage draped above the stage. Additionally, there was a smaller presence of live painters and artists that often painted in the vicinity of the various stages. While the toned-down scale of the stage design was a bit of an adjustment, many would argue that it was a worthwhile tradeoff, considering the depth of talent of musicians and artists booked for the weekend.

It looks like Imagine wanted to bring out the big guns for their fifth anniversary. From a music standpoint, they succeeded on that front. After that banger of a musical performance, it could be worthwhile to change things up and see what Imagine would look like in the future with a little less money spent on pricey headlining artists, while reinvesting that money into unique stage designs, art installations, and up-and-coming musicians and artists.

Imagine Music Festival Dancebreak Photo Album

Imagine 2018 Phase 2 Lineup: Bassnectar & More

Imagine 2018 Phase 2

Atlanta, GA – Dropping a first phase lineup that set the festival world abuzz, the 5th Anniversary edition of Imagine Music Festival has released the full roster of performers for its 2018 event, which returns to Atlanta Motor Speedway in Atlanta, Georgia on September 21st through 23rd. Once viewed as a burgeoning new festival filling a void in the Southeast, Imagine Music Festival has positioned itself as one of the nation’s most anticipated electronic dance music events, as well as one of the last remaining of the independent festivals. Joining previously announced headliners: Armin Van Buuren; Alesso; Galantis; RL Grime; and Zeds Dead will be Bassnectar and Kaskade. And, special guests The Glitch Mob and Getter will be joining Adventure Club on the Oceania Stage.

Additional new artists to the lineup include: Green Velvet presents: La La Land; Latmun; Tiga; Boogie T & Squnto; DJSS; Yheti b2b Toadface; Kenneth Thomas; Weiss; Andy Bruh; Laser Assassins; Mantis; and NOA|AON, as well as local talent: Alex Lucas; Babey Drew; Heyz; Lost Seekers; Vivid; Zen Selekta and over 70 other artists. Additional music blocks will be provided by: Tech This Out Cru; Bass Family Block; Bel Air; Torch x Elevate; Native Groove Block; Afro Acid Takeover; and Atlanta Trance Family.

Featuring four main stages, Imagine’s immersive aquatic fairytale will permeate the grounds of Atlanta Motor Speedway – from the infield to deep into the early morning in the camping areas. Previously announced artists on the 2018 performer lineup include: Headliners: Armin Van Buuren; Alesso; Galantis; RL Grime, Zeds Dead and special guest: Adventure Club. Oceania Stage: 12th Planet; Bear Grillz; Liquid Stranger; Riot Ten; Zaxx; Eddie Gold; Kevin Flum; Leah Culver; Midnite Panda; Ra; and Sunday Service. Amazonia Stage: GRiZ; ZHU; Cashmere Cat; Shpongle (Simon Posford DJ set); Ekali; Eoto; Lotus; Jai Wolf; SunSquabi; Higher Learning; Juju Beats; Levitation Jones; Protohype and Zen Selekta. Disco Inferno Stage: Green Velvet; Oliver Heldens; special guest: Noisia; Chocolate Puma; EDX; Joker; Koan Sound; Shlump; Walker & Royce; Wax Motif; Afro Acid Block, with: Salah Ananse and DJ Kemit; Ariel; Exit 9; Halogen; Ployd; and White Rhino. Aeria Stage: Paul Oakenfold; Gabriel Dresden; DJ Dara; IVY Lab; Bryson Taylor; and DaddyDough.

Imagine 2017 - The Funk Hunters perform at Disco Inferno

Flames go off at the Disco Inferno stage as The Funk Hunters perform

“Topping the prior year’s lineup has undoubtedly become a bigger challenge each year,” says Iris Presents founders Glenn and Madeleine Goodhand. “Through many special requests, our fans and the Imagine Family have helped to curate another dream lineup. Our fan support has been an integral part in the festival’s growth and we cannot wait to welcome you all back for our best year yet.”

Returning to Atlanta Motor Speedway for a third straight year this September 21-23, 2018, with early admission available on Thursday, Imagine continues to grow into the expansive venue further embracing the aquatic theme that runs throughout. Never ones to rest on their laurels, Imagine will be presenting fans with increased upgrades, based on feedback from its 2017 attendees. Imagine will continue to improve on the guest experience with more camping activities and services, additional entry and exits gates, improved VIP area, more custom stage designs and overall improvements to the site that will create better flow and shorter wait times. Throughout the aquatic wonderland there will be no shortage of aquatic creatures, dancers, cirque acts, art, workshops, the return of the Imagine pool and, of course, an even bigger and better lineup. As one of the country’s last remaining independent festivals, Imagine creates an all-encompassing, 360-degree sensory experience that blends music, circus troupes, performers, dancers, art, workshops, classes and more.

Tickets are available now starting at $219 for a 3-day pass and $285 for a 3-day pass with camping. VIP passes with express entry into festival, exclusive viewing areas, VIP bars and lounges, and private air-conditioned VIP trailer restrooms start at $360 for a 3-day pass and $479 with a 3-day pass with camping. Several lodging packages are available, including GA Camping, VIP Camping, RV Camping, Unity Travel Qube village and Hotels. Payment plans are available for a downpayment as low as $66.55, where fans can elect for four low monthly installments. Tickets are available online at www.imaginefestival.com. Imagine Music Festival is an 18 and over event.

Imagine Music Festival is produced by Iris Presents. Visit www.imaginefestival.com for the most up-to-date information. Stay connected on Twitter at www.twitter.com/imaginemusicfes and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/imaginemusicfestival.

Imagine Festival Releases 2018 Lineup

Imagine 2018 Initial Lineup

Atlanta, GA – Once viewed as a burgeoning new festival filling a void in the Southeast, Imagine Music Festival now celebrates its 5th Anniversary as one of the nation’s most anticipated electronic dance music events. Preparing for its biggest year to date, Imagine has released the first phase of its lineup which includes some of the biggest and most exciting talent from around the globe. Returning to Atlanta Motor Speedway in Atlanta, Georgia on September 21 through 23, 2018, the first round of headliners for the highly-anticipated music and camping festival include: Armin Van Buuren, Alesso, Galantis, RL Grime, Zeds Dead and special guest: Adventure Club. With still more headliners to be announced, this initial collection of top tier names are joined by over 40 additional artists.

Featuring four main stages, with more stages and artists to be announced, Imagine’s immersive aquatic fairytale will permeate the grounds of Atlanta Motor Speedway – from the infield to deep into the early morning in the camping areas. Additional artists on the 2018 performer lineup include: Oceania Stage: 12th Planet; Bear Grillz: Liquid Stranger; Riot Ten; Zaxx; Eddie Gold; Kevin Flum; Leah Culver; Midnite Panda; Ra; and Sunday Service. Amazonia Stage: GRiZ; ZHU; Cashmere Cat; Shpongle (Simon Posford DJ set); Ekali; Eoto; Lotus; Jai Wolf; SunSquabi; Higher Learning; Juju Beats; Levitation Jones; Protohype and Zen Selekta. Disco Inferno Stage: Green Velvet; Oliver Heldens; special guest: Noisia; Boogie T & Squnto; Chocolate Puma; EDX; Joker; Koan Sound; Shlump; Walker & Royce; Wax Motif; Afro Acid Block, with: Salah Ananse and DJ Kemit; Ariel; Exit 9; Halogen; Ployd; and White Rhino. Aeria Stage: Paul Oakenfold; Gabriel Dresden; DJ Dara; IV Lab; Bryson Taylor; and DaddyDough.

“Topping the prior year’s lineup has undoubtedly become a bigger challenge each year.” says Iris Presents founders Glenn and Madeleine Goodhand. “Through many special requests, our fans and the Imagine Family have helped to curate another dream lineup. Our fan support has been an integral part in this festival’s growth and we cannot wait to welcome you all back for our best year yet.”

Returning to Atlanta Motor Speedway for a third straight year this September 21-23, 2018, with early admission available on Thursday, Imagine continues to grow into the expansive venue further embracing the aquatic theme that runs throughout. Never ones to rest on their laurels, Imagine will be presenting fans with increased upgrades, based on feedback from its 2017 attendees. Imagine will continue to improve on the guest experience with more camping activities and services, additional entry and exits gates, improved VIP area, more custom stage designs and overall improvements to the site that will create better flow and shorter wait times. Throughout the aquatic wonderland there will be no shortage of aquatic creatures, dancers, cirque acts, art, workshops, the return of the Imagine pool and of course an even bigger and better lineup. As one of the country’s last remaining independent festivals, Imagine creates an all-encompassing, 360-degree sensory experience that blends music, circus troupes, performers, dancers, art, workshops, classes and more.

Tickets are available now starting at $219 for a 3-day pass and $285 for a 3-day pass with camping. VIP passes with express entry into festival, exclusive viewing areas, VIP bars and lounges, and private air-conditioned VIP trailer restrooms start at $360 for a 3-day pass and $479 with a 3-day pass with camping. Several lodging packages are available, including GA Camping, VIP Camping, RV Camping, Unity Travel Qube village and Hotels. Tickets are available online at www.imaginefestival.com. Imagine Music Festival is an 18 and over event.

Imagine Music Festival is produced by Iris Presents. Visit www.imaginefestival.com for the most up-to-date information. Stay connected on Twitter at www.twitter.com/imaginemusicfes and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/imaginemusicfestival.

Live & Love Relentlessly at Decadence AZ 2017

DecadenceAZ 2017 Sunset

This past December 30-31, 2017, thousands of music enthusiasts took over the Rawhide Western Town & Event Center in Chandler, AZ, for Arizona’s biggest New Year’s Eve celebration, Decadence. Festival producers Relentless Beats and Global Dance pulled in 12,000 attendants per day, with a lineup that featured a cast of national acts including Armin van Buuren, Big Wild, Borgore, Boys Noize, Duke Dumont, Galantis, Justice, Louis the Child, Madeon, Oliver Heldens, What So Not, Zedd, Zeds Dead, Zhu, and many more. The two-day event featured two main indoor stages: The Diamond Atrium and Sapphire Ballroom, along with the outdoor Ruby Courtyard and carnival rides.

Big Wild at DecadenceAZ 2017

Big Wild performing in the Sapphire Ballroom. Photo by Victor Tranfield

With a number of destructive natural disasters and unusual political phenomena in the US, many would consider 2017 a wild and tumultuous year. Perhaps that’s why 2017 also seemed to be a big year for music and festivals, as people search for a means of community, especially in the festival realm: a place to escape the distractions of the world and find love and peace. On that note, we reached out to several artists and people in the industry to ask them:

“Can you recall a particular moment that stands out, which happened in 2017 that you think exemplifies the unifying power of music?” Here’s what they had to say:

Snails
“The power of music is crazy. People can just forget everything and be with their friends and just have fun. That’s what it’s all about. A very special moment for me this year was pressing play at my Sluggtopia Red Rocks show in front of 10k people and everyone coming together for the moment and forgetting about everything else. Can’t wait for 2018!”

BIJOU
“For me that moment was EDC Las Vegas. This year has been an extremely difficult for many around the world. To have the opportunity to play on that size of a stage and watch every single person out there forget about all their problems and issues is truly empowering. It was a moment I’ll never forget and a moment that the music really brought everyone together as a whole. It’s really a beautiful thing that I feel like only music can do for such an audience.”

BIJOU DecadenceAZ 2017

BIJOU performing at the Diamond Atrium. Photo by Phil MacDonald

Thomas Turner of Relentless Beats
“When we announced Goldrush many were concerned overlapping fan bases might lead to an environment different than the one we have built in our electronic music scene. To witness it in fact be a cohesive event with many musical tastes coming together was such an amazing feeling. Arizona is really special place.”

Black Tiger Sex Machine
“It’s tough to single out a specific moment, so we are just going to choose our entire Midnight Terror Tour in 2017. We had the chance to play across all of North America in the span of a few weeks and it was our biggest tour yet. We always expect the smaller intimate shows to have a real unifying vibe, but we were so amazed to see these larger crowds coming together and enjoying themselves in such a positive way. And it wasn’t just one specific area. People all over are in tune with this idea of community and spreading positivity. It makes us really hopeful about the future, in spite of all the craziness that can happen in the world.

Music won’t hate. Music won’t judge. Music is here to stay. Music is our religion.”

While artists had the chance to reflect on the previous year, we spoke to festival attendants to ask the oft repeated New Year’s question: “what is your new years resolution?” While the festival’s name might betray a sense of extravagance, luxury, or self-indulgence, a fitting theme for an atmosphere of celebration, the reality is the responses were far humbler. In fact, festival owner Thomas Turner commented that Decadence was really about giving “our fans the most elaborate and immersive experience yet. Think of it as a ’Thank You’ for a great 2017 and a toast to an even bigger new year.” In other words, Decadence is less focused on self-indulgence and more of an unrestrained thank-you to the music community.

When festivalgoers were asked about their New Year’s resolutions, the responses resoundingly revolved around several key themes: self-improvement, self-love, helping those less fortunate, being more accepting, and being more environmentally conscious. When questioned, one festival attendant responded: “After 2017, I think we could all use a little more love.”

As thousands of people at Decadence danced, laughed, and celebrated the beginning of 2018 together, with a raucous celebration to end 2017, positivity was in the air; music enthusiasts radiated with a bright outlook entering the new year. Decadence Arizona 2017 was a magical weekend; take that magic that brings people together, share it with the world, and live and love relentlessly in 2018. Welcome to the future!

Editor’s Note: This was a collaborative article by Phil MacDonald and Victor Tranfield, with a special thank you to Caren West PR for assisting with artist relations.

DecadenceAZ 2017 Unicorns

Festivals: where magical things happen, like unicorns riding unicorns. Photo by Victor Tranfield

Decadence AZ 2017 Initial Lineup

Decadence Arizona 2017

Relentless Beats has announced phase one of their lineup for Decadence NYE, Arizona’s largest music festival – a two-day New Year’s Eve celebration taking place at Rawhide Event Center in Chandler, Arizona on December 30 and 31, 2017. Presented by Relentless Beats and Global Dance, the fourth annual festival will include two main stages, with some of electronic dance music’s biggest and most buzz-worthy artists, including: in the Diamond Atrium: Armin Van Buuren (AZ festival debut); Black Tiger Sex Machine; Borgore; Crywolf; Galantis; Louis the Child; Medasin (AZ debut); What So Not; Zedd and Zed’s Dead and in the Sapphire Ballroom: Big Wild; Destructo; Justice (dj set/AZ debut); Petit Biscuit; Tchami; Tokimonsta and ZHU, with many more to be announced in the coming weeks.

“This has been by far the biggest year in Relentless Beat’s history,” says Relentless Beats founder Thomas Turner. “It is pretty remarkable that we get to cap it off with our biggest lineup of 2017- setting the bar for an even bigger year next year.”

Rawhide Event Center is situated on the Gila River Indian Community and is Arizona’s largest 1880s western-themed entertainment venue. Located just south of Phoenix, the venue is just 20 minutes from the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Chandler, AZ. Relentless Beats will be transforming Rawhide’s Frontier Hall into the Arizona’s biggest super-club for a decadent two nights. Guests are invited to indulge and live lavishly one last time, as they say good-bye to 2017 and prepare to welcome the fresh beginnings of a new year.

General Admission tickets go on-sale Friday, August 25, 2017 at 10 a.m. for $149, plus fees for a 2-day pass. VIP passes, with separate VIP entrance, two (2) complimentary drink tickets, a catered spread, massive VIP deck with assorted seating, two preferred main stage viewing areas, passed hors d’oeuvres, New Year’s Eve champagne toast, commemorative lanyard, and VIP restrooms will be available. Table service will be available at both main stages. VIP Platinum options are also available. For full details and all ticket options, visit www.decadencearizona.com. VIP is reserved for 21+. Decadence Arizona is an ages 18 and over event.

Decadence Arizona is produced by Relentless Beats and Global Dance. Visit www.relentlessbeats.com for the most up-to-date information on all Relentless Beats events. Stay connected on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RelentlessBeats and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RelentlessBeats.